I’ll have to second that MXPX thing. I heard they got into heavy drinking and other unChristianlike behavior. Got turned onto the dark side, if you will.
I’m quite surprised. Alot of the bands on this thread, I would never have known. I always had my suspicions about Creed, but MXPX?? I have much to learn…Grasshopper…
She’s not really popular so much, but Sam Phillips, had a pretty big college/modern rock album a few years back with Martinis and Bikinis, started her career as Christian vocalist Leslie Phillips. From what I’ve read, she’s still a believer in God, but has big, big problems with the Christian music world.
She also had a role as the silent but deadly, throat-slashing female terrorist in Die Hard With A Vengeance.
When a telnted rock band turns its attention to religious subjects, the results CAN be wonderful. When U2, Bruce Springsteen, Kansas, Creed or Collective Soul makes a good record with reilgious themes, I’m always happy to listen.
But I NEVER listen to “Contemporary Christian” radio stations, because my experience has been that, far too often, the music is treacly and shallow. Most of the Christian music I’ve heard sounds like… well, if you took any wimpy ballad by Journey or Styx, and put in the name “Jesus” instead of a girl’s name, you’d have a standard contemporary Christian song.
Unfortunately, good intentions don’t count for much in music. A lame song doesn’t become a good song just because it has admirably Christian subject matter.
That guy who did “Butterfly Kisses” is a christian artist and that was a big hit for him.
I love listening to Christian music! (sporadically, if I listened to it constantly I think I might kill someone)
Download ABORTION IS MURDER by POD, an amazing exemplar of subtlety and graceful, considerate idealism.
Download NO CONFIDENCE by Twila Paris, I really can’t describe it. It’s awesome. I giggle until I have to pee.
I keep them in the same folder in which I’ve got my mp3s of Mr. T’s album. They sit right between BE SOMEBODY (OR BE SOMEBODY’S FOOL) and TREAT YOUR MOTHER RIGHT.
What about Bob Dylan’s Christian albums like Slow Train Coming?
At the time, people said if you just ignored the preachy lyrics and listened to the music, it sounded great. Mark Knopfler produced it, played lead guitar, and did a great job on the sound. Audio-wise, it was probably the best record Dylan ever did. A lot of fans were upset by his sudden swing to fundamentalism, but consider the early-60s folkie scene he came out of had a lot of Gospel songs in it. Songs like “Gospel Plow” off of Dylan’s first album in 1961. The folkies didn’t think nothin’ of the Christian content they were singin’—some of 'em were Jewish and some were Communist. To them it was just old-timey folk music. Even Communist Woody Guthrie wrote a reverential song “Jesus Christ” (with the Son of Man in the role of anti-capitalist revolutionary).
I’ve never actually listened to a “Contemporary Christin” radio station. For some reason, the mention of the words Christian music conjure visions of gospel and middle aged white women staring into the sky, arms raised. So if I actually tune into one of these stations, would I hear bands like POD and MXPX. Or are these bands too cool for sunday school?
Disney’s “Night of Joy” and Universal Studios “Rock the Universe” are the two big Christian events at the parks, featuring a lot of Christian rock bands and gospel groups/soloists. Both take place the first weekend in September (parks close early, then reopen from 8pm to 1 am), and quite crowded, from my understanding, so there seems to be quite a big following).
screech-owl
(who wears a question mark, but knows the theme parks schedules)
I’m afraid that, unless a station in your market is really contemporary, your fears will be confirmed. For the most part, the Christian music mainstream Christian stations is a step below (or above depending on your outlook) most pop music.
Christian bands that I hear on the Radio all the time:
P.O.D.
Creed (yes they are outright)
Lifehouse
MXPX (well they were}
Heh, in this thread I rant about the unspeakably crappy time I had at as a volunteer at a fundie-filled camp for disabled kids. Someone needs to tell the fundies about MXPX’s defection, cause they never got the message. When I tried to tell them, they refused to believe me (that’s typical fundie style). Oh, I’m getting mad just remembering that week.
Also Creed is definitely Xtian, songs like My Own Prison and to a lesser extent Higher make that clear. Plus I’ve heard Scott Stapp babble about his beliefs. I say babble because Scott is not a smart guy, and is not someone who should be delivering philosophy to people. I would rather have my kids taught by Marilyn Manson than this guy. Yeesh.
LC
I remember an interview I saw with the lead singer from Creed and he was saying something that, yeah, you can trample his beliefs and try to marginalize him as Christian and label him whatever you want if it makes you feel better about your own false faith… etc. etc. The entire time I was listening to him whine about being victimized, I was mentally screaming, “This continent is 95% Christian, you stupid fuck!”
[slight hijack]
astorian mentioned U2. Personally, I’ve always thought of them as a Christian band. Or a mainstream rock band with Christian leanings in their lyrics. For example, ‘With Or Without You’ is not just a romantic love song to me. I hear it as something a lot more spiritual.
[/slight hijack]
Just adding on to Skijumper’s hijack, in the U2 song “The End of the World” I’ve always harbored the suspicion that the verse that goes (very roughly) “And in the garden I was playing the tart, I kissed your lips and broke your heart, and you, you were talking like it was the end of the world” was written from the perspective of Judas talking to Jesus.
But back on topic, though he never really crossed over I truly believe that had he chose to he easily could have, the man that started the genre, Larry Norman. I’m no longer religious at all, but I still love his work, including his Chuck Barry flavored “Why Should the Devil have all the Good Music.”
I missed this the first time I read the thread–Kansas leaned so far that founder/guitarist/songwriter Kerry Livgren left the band and went on to form Christian rockers AD. They were only around a few years and disbanded when Livgren quit, but as I recall, their songwriting wasn’t too terrible.
John Elefante, who replaced Steve Walsh on vocals in Kansas, also went on to have a successful Christian songwriting and production career.
So they could still be a band of Christians then, as opposed to a “Christian Band.”
The very next question on the site is -
From what I have read on this thread, Creed seems to appologize for their Christian leanings. They sound sort of embarrassed. I know being pigeon-holed a " Christian band" is sort of a stigma these days, but why make excuses for your beliefs?
For the record. I am not a Christian. I’ve always found religious referance to be a very powerful tool in art, though. If done well and not preachy, popular music could benefit from a religiuos message. Everything should be balanced. We have no shortage of cynicism and angst, I see no problem with a positive message, Christian or otherwise.
p.s. Creed gives me the shits.
Is the ska band Five Iron Frenzy a Christian band? I don’t know what it was that made me think they were, something in one or two of their songs, but I got that impression.
Jars of Clay and MxPx have been mentioned, I see. The only one I can think to add to the list is DC Talk. They had a couple of crossover semi-hits a few years ago with “Just Between You and Me” and “Jesus Freak.”
Not sure if this counts as a hijack, but here goes:
News flash: There are some really good Christian bands!
Hey, I was surprised as you are. I absolutely despise “Contemporary Christian” music in it’s entirety. I’m also not fond of the rubbish my sunday school kids (9th and 10th graders) listen to. Stuff like POD and Audio Adrenaline.
Fear not, though. If you’re looking for some good music, try these:
Switchfoot - My all time favorite Christian band. Check out “Don’t Be There,” and “Chem 6a.”
Plumb - Their first album sucked, but the second was genius. “Phobic,” and “Drugstore jesus” are great.
The Waiting - They’re slightly leaning toward the treacle side, but overall they’re pretty good. I like “Staring at a Bird” and their hilarious cover of that “Oh baby give me one more chance” Jackson Five song.